Author: jhawkes51

Warriors ground Rockets, win 17th straight at Oracle

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By Joe Hawkes

OAKLAND — The Golden State Warriors continue to make winning in the NBA and over the Houston Rockets an easy

Klay Thompson scored 27 points and Stephen Curry finished with 22 points and 10 assists as Golden State established a new franchise record with their 17th consecutive home win with a 126-113 victory over Houston Wednesday in front of the 102nd straight sellout at Oracle Arena.

Golden State completed the four-game sweep over Houston this season, which hasn’t been done since the 1973-74 season.

Draymond Green had 18 points and six rebounds and Harrison Barnes finished with 11 points as Golden State shot 50 percent from the floor (49-for-98), while holding the Rockets to just 42 percent shooting (37-for-87).

“We got the best fans in the league,” Green said. “They make it tough for teams to come and try to beat us.”

Marreese Speights and David Lee finished with nine points off the bench for Golden State. Lee reached the 10,000-point career milestone in the process.

Andrew Bogut also finished with nine points, but recorded 10 rebounds and five blocks while playing 22 minutes.

The Warriors utilized a 26-6 run in the second quarter to push their lead to 62-42 at halftime.

Tempers flared in the third quarter when Curry ran after Rockets’ forward Trevor Ariza bumped the Warriors’ point guard.

“I got a technical for nothing,” said Curry. “Softest technical I’ve ever gotten. I thought it was a cheap shot, even if he didn’t meant it, that’s how I felt at the time.”

Ariza was assessed a technical in fact, Houston had four technical fouls called against them, two of them on forward Josh Smith who was ejected in the third quarter for arguing with referee, Tre Maddox.

Both teams finished even in total rebounds (46), while Golden State finished with the edge in assists (26-23), and Houston leading the turnover battle (19-16).

Golden State was lights out from beyond the arc, shooting 13-for-29 on 3s (44 percent). Houston shot 13-for-32 from downtown (40 percent).

“I thought we played well tonight, but we could’ve ended the game better,” said Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. “We didn’t close the game like we normally do, but we had a big lead so we were able to ride it out.”

Golden State biggest lead was 30 points.

Houston (29-14) just didn’t seem to have it again against Golden State Wednesday night.

Outside of James Harden’s game-high 33 points, Corey Brewer (20 points) and Jason Terry (14 points), no other Rockets players scored more than nine points.

Center Dwight Howard finished with seven points and 11 rebounds while battling foul trouble. Howard also picked up a first quarter technical and was clearly frustrated for the remainder of the game.

“They play hard, and fast,” said Houston head coach Kevin McHale. “They make you make plays, they defend, and they pressure you. Give them credit for playing a great game.”

Golden State (34-6) joins just 10 teams since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976 to win 34 of their first 40 games of the season. At 19-1, the Warriors sport the best home record in the league.

“Teams are going come in a give their best effort,” Bogut said. “We’ll bring our game and continue to play hard and tough.”

The Warriors continue their five-game homestand Friday night with their I-80 brethren, Sacramento Kings visiting Oracle Arena.

 

 

Carr left off PFWA’s All-Rookie team

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By Joe Hawkes-Beamon

OAKLAND — I guess Derek Carr still has a lot to prove in the NFL, according to the Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA).

The PFWA released its All-Rookie team on Tuesday and the Raiders had two players receive honors: linebacker Khalil Mack and defensive tackle Justin “Jelly” Ellis.

Clearly there is no debate on why the PFWA selected Mack, Oakland’s fifth overall pick in last April’s NFL draft. Mack finished with 75 tackles, 4 sacks, and 1 forced fumble while starting all 16 games.

Ellis, who was a bit of a surprise to me, finished with 21 tackles, but didn’t record a sack in 16 games played (14 starts).

The bigger surprise was the fact that Raiders’ quarterback Derek Carr was snubbed from the team in favor of Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback, Teddy Bridgewater.

In 16 starts, Carr led all rookies by passing for 3,270 yards, with 21 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, with a 76.6 passer rating. His 599 passing attempts ranks second in NFL history among rookies (Andrew Luck had 629 in 2012).

One of Carr’s signature games has got to be the 24-13 victory in Week 14 over the Raiders’ Bay Area rival, the San Francisco 49ers where he tossed 3 touchdowns on 22-for-28 passes for 254 yards. That victory pretty much spelled the end of the Jim Harbaugh era in San Francisco.

Bridgewater had a strong season himself, throwing for 2,919 yards with 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, with a passer rating of 85.2 while playing in 13 games (12 starts).

Sure Bridgewater had a higher completion rating than Carr (64.4 to 58.1), and Minnesota (7-9) finished with a better record than Oakland (3-13), but Carr should’ve gotten the nod over Bridgewater.

Take nothing away from Bridgewater, who benefits from having one of the better offensive play-callers in offensive coordinator Norv Turner, who will return to Minnesota next season, but Carr will enter the 2015 season having to learn a new offense and adjust to his third head coach in a matter of a year.

Oakland introduced former Broncos’ defensive coordinator as the team’s new head coach on Friday at a press conference at the team’s Alameda headquarters.

Carr and Bridgewater will forever be linked to each other for the rest of their careers. Both quarterbacks are going to be compared to the other on how each team wins an loses, but in the long run, I think Carr will have the better career than Bridgewater.

Only time will tell, but I’m sorry, the PFWA got the choice at quarterback for its 2014 All-Rookie team wrong.

Below is the complete list of the 2014 PFWA All-Rookie team and rookie year-end awards.

2014 PFWA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: WR Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants
2014 PFWA OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: WR Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants
2014 PFWA DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: DT Aaron Donald, St. Louis Rams

2014 PFWA ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Offense
QB – Teddy Bridgewater, Minnesota Vikings
RB – Jeremy Hill, Cincinnati Bengals; Tre Mason, St. Louis Rams
WR – Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants; Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TE – Jace Amaro, New York Jets
C – Corey Linsley, Green Bay Packers
G – Joel Bitonio, Cleveland Browns; Zack Martin, Dallas Cowboys
T – Taylor Lewan, Tennessee Titans; Ja’Wuan James, Miami Dolphins
Defense
DL – Aaron Donald, St. Louis Rams; Timmy Jernigan, Baltimore Ravens; Kony Ealy, Carolina Panthers; Justin Ellis, Oakland Raiders
LB – Chris Borland, San Francisco 49ers; Khalil Mack, Oakland Raiders; C.J. Mosley, Baltimore Ravens
CB – Kyle Fuller, Chicago Bears; E.J. Gaines, St. Louis Rams
S – Deone Bucannon, Arizona Cardinals; Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Green Bay Packers
Special Teams
PK – Cody Parkey, Philadelphia Eagles
P – Pat O’Donnell, Chicago Bears
KR – Jarvis Landry, Miami Dolphins
PR – De’Anthony Thomas, Kansas City Chiefs
ST – Trey Burton, Philadelphia Eagles

 

Warriors drop Cavs, Extend home winning streak to 14 games

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AP Photo/Ben Margot

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon

OAKLAND — Klay Thompson scored 24 points and Stephen Curry finished with 23 points, helping the Golden State Warriors win their 14th straight game at Oracle Arena with a 112-94 victory Friday night in front of the team’s 99th consectutive sellout.

The Warriors finished their six-game homestand 6-0, and have won sixth straight game overall. The last time Golden State went 6-0 on a homestand you got to go back to February of 1992.

“We got some big stops down the stretch when we needed them,” said Curry, who finished with 10 of the Warriors’ 35 assists with just one turnover. “We wanted to protect the basket and play solid defense.”

Marreese Speights scored 12 points, Harrison Barnes had 11, and Draymond Green nearly had a triple double, finishing with 10 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists.

Rookie Justin Holiday provided another spark off the bench, scoring 14 points in 18 minutes. Holiday scored 12 points off the bench in 28 minutes of action in Golden State’s 117-91 victory over Oklahoma City Monday night.

Golden State had trouble containing Cleveland in the first quarter, allowing the Cavs to shoot 52.2 percent from the floor on (12-for-23). Cleveland dominated the Warriors on the glass early, holding a 16-8 rebounding edge early before finishing with a 45-44 rebounding advantage.

The Cavaliers outscored the Warriors 18-0 on second chance points.

But Golden State turned to the run game, outscoring the Cavaliers 36-3 on fast break points, and holding the edge in points in the paint, 40-28.

Trailing 66-64 with 6:39 left in the third quarter, Golden State went on an 11-0 run to push their lead to 75-66, keyed by a Barnes’ dunk courtesy of a Green lob. From that point, Golden State never looked back.

Cleveland (19-18) played without forward LeBron James (sore left knee, lower back soreness)

J.R. Smith scored 12 of his game-high 27 points in the first quarter, Kyrie Irving finished with 23 points and six assists, and Kevin Love added 17 points and 14 rebounds for Cleveland.

Cleveland dropped to 1-6 without James this season.

“It wasn’t what I expected (6-0 at home), but it felt great to get back to who we are,” said Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. “We play in front of great fans and the atmosphere is electric.”

Golden State have owned the Eastern Conference this season, improving to 12-0, the team’s best start against the Eastern Conference.

With the NBA’s best record at 29-5 and home record at 16-1, Golden State have played unselfish team basketball this season and those records show that this could be a very promising season in the Bay Area for the Warriors.

The Dubs don’t hit the court again until Tuesday, when they head to Utah, before returning to Oracle Arena Wednesday against Miami with a chance to make it 15 in a row which would tie the 1989-90 Warriors’ franchise mark.

Game Notes:

  • Former Warriors head coach Mark Jackson called the game for ESPN. Jackson, who was fired at the end of last season, was greeted by several members of the Warriors and received a standing ovation from the home crowd. Jackson went 121-109, with two playoff appearances (1 postseason series win) in three seasons manning the bench for Golden State.
  • Stephen Curry’s “Curry 1’s” basketball shoe from Under Armour made their debut.
  • Klay Thompson left midway through the third quarter with a gash to his forehead. Thompson would return to the game in the fourth.

Golden State blow by OKC

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AP Photo/Ben Margot)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon

OAKLAND — It’s no secret, the Golden State Warriors have the Oklahoma City Thunder’s number this season.

Harrison Barnes finished with a season-high 23 points and seven rebounds, helping Golden State pick up their third straight win over Oklahoma City this season, 117-91 in front of a sellout crowd of 19,596 at Oracle Arena.

“My teammates got me into the flow of the game,” said Barnes, who shot 5-for-5 from 3-point range. “It was a relief to shoot better tonight.”

Overall, the Warriors shot 15-for-28 (53 percent) on 3s.

Golden State (27-5), blazed out to a 17-6 lead in the first quarter over the Thunder, ignited by the Splash Brothers. Klay Thompson scored 13 of his 19 points in the first quarter, and Stephen Curry also finished with 19 points.

With both Curry and Thompson battling foul trouble, Golden State turned to reserve guard Justin Holiday in the second quarter. Holiday had his best game of the season, scoring 12 points on 4-for-6 shooting while playing a season-high 28 minutes off the bench.

“Coach [Steve Kerr], told me to be confident and take my shot,” Holiday said.

Draymond Green finished with 11 points and 13 rebounds as Golden State held Oklahoma City to 30 percent shooting (30-for-98) from the floor, while the Dubs shot 46 percent (41-for-88) from the floor.

Oklahoma City (17-18) couldn’t get their superstar duo of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook or the entire team into gear tonight.

Westbrook led all Thunder players with 22 points, but shot 5-for-21 from the field. Durant finished with just 14 points on 3-for-16 shooting after scoring 30 points in 20 minutes against Golden State back on Dec. 18 at Oracle Arena before leaving the game with a sprained ankle.

“Great job defensively tonight, I thought our defense was really good,” said Kerr. “Obviously when Durant and Westbrook won’t have bad shooting nights, but we played great defense, but we we’re lucky.”

With the win, Golden State have now won 12 straight games at home for the first since the 1989-90 season, and hold the best home record in the league at 14-1.

The Warriors and Thunder hook up for the final time this season on Jan. 16 in Oklahoma City. The Thunder should have newly acquired shooting guard Dion Waiters available for that game.

Oklahoma City was part of a three-team trade, sending a protected 2015 first-round pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Waiters. The New York Knicks received reserve Lance Thomas from Oklahoma City, and sending J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert to Cleveland.

Golden State has won the first four games of their six-game home stand, which continues Wednesday night with the visiting Indiana Pacers coming to town.

 

Curry’s 25 points carries Warriors past T’Wolves

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By Joe Hawkes

OAKLAND — Stephen Curry scored a game-high 25 points to go along with six assists helping the Golden State Warriors shake off a two-game losing streak with a comfortable 110-97 victory over the struggling Minnesota Timberwolves Saturday night in front of 19,596 at Oracle Arena.

Klay Thompson added 21 points and five rebounds for Golden State, who out-shot Minnesota 46.6 to 44.2 percent from the field. Golden State led as much as 27 points in the fourth quarter, and forced Minnesota into 25 turnovers while committing just 14 turnovers.

Even with sporting the NBA’s best record at 24-5, Golden State has been brought back down to earth recently with back-to-back losses in Los Angeles to the Lakers and Clippers respectively. Warriors first-year head coach Steve Kerr, who is an even-keel guy, has voiced his frustration with his team’s lack of focus and commitment during games, but seemed satisfied after the game.

“I told our guys, `If we want to win in May and June, we have to play every possession,” Kerr said. “You just can’t completely lose focus and throw the ball where nobody is. Or maybe at a guy with a different color jersey. I was dumbfounded with some of the stuff that I saw. But as I said, a lot of great stuff, too.”

Thompson is clearly on board with what Kerr is trying to preach to his team.

“We’re still growing and we’re still getting there. I completely understand where Steve’s coming from,” Thompson said.

“I just think our team has a tendency, at times, to want to put on a show instead of just making the right play,” Kerr said. “What they need to understand is making the right play will provide the show.”

Minnesota (5-24) didn’t look like a team that wanted to be on the court.

Small forward Thaddeus Young scored 17 points, talented rookie Zach LaVine added 12 points and a game-high 14 assists, while Troy Daniels finished 14 points off the bench for Minnesota, who dropped their eighth straight game.

Rookie Andrew Wiggins finished with 10 points. Point guard Ricky Rubio missed his 24th straight game due to a sprained ankle.

Golden State has dominated the Northwest Division this season, improving to 6-0 on the season. With the win over Minnesota, Golden State have won nine straight home games, their longest home winning streak since the 1994 season where they won 10 straight.

The Warriors will have a chance to tie that 10-game home winning streak Tuesday with Michael Carter-Williams and the Philadelphia 76ers visiting Oracle Arena.

 

 

Raiders head to Mile High for regular season finale

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By Joe Hawkes-Beamon

Follow Joe on twitter @JLHB510

OAKLAND — After dispatching the visiting Buffalo Bills 26-24 at O.co Coliseum in Week 16 behind two touchdown passes from rookie quarterback Derek Carr and four field goals from Sebastian Janikowski and extending the Bills playoff drought to 15 years, the Raiders travel to Denver Sunday to take on the AFC West champion Broncos in both team’s regular season finale.

Oakland (3-12) dominated the time of possession over the Bills (8-7), 33:47 to 26:13, and rushing yards, 140 to 13.

After starting the season 0-10, the Raiders are 3-2 in their last five games with victories over Kansas City, San Francisco, and now, Buffalo.

“I can’t say enough good things about this team,” interim coach Tony Sparano said. “I love the guys in that locker room. They’re fighters. Anytime somebody counts them out, they bounce back. It’s a great sign of character.”

Defensively, Oakland got key contributions from middle linebacker Miles Burris, who recorded a team-high nine tackles (4 solo) and cornerback D.J. Hayden, who had six tackles.

With Oakland trailing Buffalo, 7-0 in the second quarter behind Bills rookie wide receiver Sammy Watkins’ 42-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter and Buffalo driving into Oakland’s territory, veteran safety Charles Woodson out-muscled Bills tight end Scott Chandler for the ball to record his 60th career interception. Woodson’s interception, proved to be the play that provided Oakland with the momentum to carry them through the rest of the game.

“This team has never really gotten down to the point where we were ready to give up,” safety Woodson said. “It’s always been an upbeat attitude with the guys on the team, and it shows out there each week.”

There is no doubt that Woodson has played at high level this year at age 38, leading the team in tackles (106) and interceptions (4), to go along with eight pass defensed and a sack.

Woodson, along with rookie linebacker Khalil Mack (tied for the team lead with four sacks), were named as alternates in the upcoming Pro Bowl. According to Pro Football Focus, Mack rates as the the best 4-3 outside linebacker in the NFL.

Fullback Marcel Reece was named a starter for the Pro Bowl, his third overall.

Denver is coming off gut-punching 37-28 loss in Cincinnati before a national televised audience where quarterback Peyton Manning threw a season-high four interceptions.

“I shouldn’t have thrown it,” said Manning, who was 28 of 44 for 311 yards with two touchdowns. “Four interceptions, you’re not going to beat many good football teams.”

With the loss, Denver (11-4) are locked in as the No. 2 seed as New England wrapped up home-field advantage throughout the AFC Playoffs. Denver also failed to clinch a first-round bye.

 Players to Watch

Oakland, QB, Derek Carr

There is no doubt that Carr is the Raiders’ quarterback of the future, and his play has definitely gotten better as the season gone on. Carr leads all rookie quarterbacks in passing yards (3,112) and touchdown passes (20). If it weren’t for Cincinnati rookie running back Jeremy Hill (199 carries, 1,024 rushing yards, 9 TDs) and New York Giants’ rookie wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (79 catches, 1,120 receiving yards, 11 TDs) Carr would be walking away with the NFL Rookie of the Year award.

Denver, QB, Peyton Manning

Manning appeared mortal against Cincinnati with his season-high four interceptions, prompting many pundits to question whether Manning was injured. The Bengals was up in the future Hall of Famer’s grill, confusing Manning with an array of pressuring blitzes and knocking him down throughout the game. Rarely does Manning play poorly in back-to-back weeks and with the playoffs just one week away, one will expect Manning to have a bounce back performance. In Denver’s 41-17 demolishing over Oakland in Week 10, Manning threw for 340 and five touchdowns.

Warriors slip by Thunder behind Curry’s 34 points

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By Joe Hawkes-Beamon

OAKLAND — Stephen Curry scored 34 points and handed out nine assists, elevating the Golden State Warriors to a 114-109 home win over the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder Thursday night after clawing back from a 17-point deficit early in the game.

“We stepped up tonight,” Curry said after the game. “We had to battle tonight and once we got stops and transitions, we felt good.”

Golden State (22-3), bounced back tonight after snapping their franchise-record 16-game winning streak in Tuesday’s 105-98 loss at Memphis. The Warriors improved to 9-1 at home this season, and have won 17 of their last 18 games.

Oklahoma City came out and jumped ahead of Golden State, building a 40-32 first quarter lead. Kevin Durant scored 16 of his 30 points in the first quarter sinking 6 of his first 7 shots from the floor, including 5 for 6 from 3-point range. Oklahoma City made 15 of its first 25 shots.

The 40 points scored by the Thunder in the first quarter were the most points surrendered by Golden State in any quarter this season, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Durant appeared to be heading for big night, but sprained his right ankle late in the second quarter and didn’t return to the game.

The reigning league Most Valuable Player finished with 30 points in 20 minutes on 10 of 13 shooting, becoming the first player since the NBA/ABA merger in 1976 to score at least 30 points in 20 minutes, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

“I wanted to go back out and play, but thought I should be cautious about it,” said Durant after the game.

Russell Westbrook picked up the scoring slack for the Thunder, finishing with a team-high 33 points and eight assists. Serge Ibaka had 12 points, while Andre Roberson finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Six players finished in double figures for Golden State, who converted 32 assists into 48 made field goals (48 of 64) and shot 51 percent from the floor. Golden State shot the lights out from from 3-point range, draining 12 of 31 from behind the arc.

Draymond Green finished with 16 points, nine rebounds, and a career-high nine assists.

Harrison Barnes and Shaun Livingston each scored 12 points, and Marreese Speights had 8 points. Barnes also grabbed seven rebounds.

The Warriors dominated the Thunder in the paint, outscoring Oklahoma City 52-36 and forced 15 Thunder turnovers, while only committing just nine. Golden State rattled off a 35-18 run in the second quarter to pull ahead of Oklahoma City, 49-48, which led to a 65-63 halftime lead for the Warriors who never looked back.

It took a total team effort for Golden State to snap Oklahoma City’s (12-14) seven-game winning streak, after continuing to play without center Andrew Bogut (right knee) and forward David Lee (left hamstring).

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr reaffirmed general manger Bob Myers’ recent comments that Lee could be back on the court Monday for the Warriors’ next home game Monday night against Sacramento

“David Lee will be back next week, probably,” Kerr said.

Bogut is a different story.

Bogut is expected to be out a number of weeks after undergoing platelet-rich plasma therapy on his right knee Wednesday.

 

 

Raiders to host Bills in home finale

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By Joe Hawkes-Beamon

OAKLAND — Raider Nation will get to see their team at home for the last time this season when the Silver & Black host the very tough Buffalo Bills Sunday at O.co Coliseum at 1:25pm PDT. Oakland looks to rebound from a 31-13 defeat to the Chiefs in Kansas City in Week 15.

Oakland battled Kansas City tough, trailing the Chiefs 10-6 early in the third quarter but the roof caved in on Oakland as Kansas scored three unanswered touchdowns.

Chiefs’ running back Knile Davis ran in a score from 3-yards out, then after a fumble by Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, quarterback Alex Smith found tight end Travis Kelce for a 20-yard touchdown. Then Smith hooked up with Davis on a quick go-route for a 70-yard touchdown that ended Oakland’s day.

“You just can’t blame one area,” Carr said after Oakland’s (2-12) 10th straight road loss. Oakland fell to 0-2 in Missouri this season, who were dusted 52-0 in St. Louis in Week 13 by the Rams.

Carr finished the day 27-of-56 for 222 yards passing, and one touchdown late in the fourth quarter when the game was out of hand. Oakland’s signal caller was sacked four times.

Buffalo (8-6) kept their AFC playoff hopes alive with a gut-wrenching 21-13 home victory over the Green Bay Packers, thanks in large part to the Bills’ fifth-ranked defense.

Bacarri Rambo came off the bench to replace backup safety Duke Williams and made life miserable for Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, intercepting Rodgers twice on back to back drives, while defensive end Mario Williams forced a Rodgers’ fumble into the end zone for a safety with 1:51 left in the game.

Buffalo’s defense held Rodgers in check, limiting the Packers quarterback to 17-of-42 passing for 185 yards and the two interceptions.

“It was a testament to what we do,” said defensive tackle Kyle Williams after Buffalo’s win. “We’ve played against great quarterbacks, so the only expectation that we had was to play well and win a football game.”

Players to Watch

Buffalo, WRs, Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods

The Bills’ top pick in 2014 (No. 4 overall), has had a tremendous season for Buffalo leading the team in catches (59), yards (850), and touchdowns (5). His 14.4 yards-per-catch ranks in the Top-10 among rookie wide receivers.

Woods has taken some of the pressure off Watkins with his 54 catches, 608 yards receiving, and three touchdowns. If Oakland decides to double team Watkins, Woods could hurt the Silver & Black’s secondary.

Oakland, RB, Latavius Murray

Murray finished with just 12 carries for 52 yards on Sunday in Kansas City, but did have a nice 25-yard run after getting the start over running back Darren McFadden. Oakland must establish the run to support Carr and it starts with Murray, who has recorded 49 carries for 301 yards and two touchdowns this season. His 6.1 yards-per-carry are tops on the team.

 

 

Warriors ground Rockets, nab 14th straight win

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By Joe Hawkes-Beamon

OAKLAND — Klay Thompson scored 21 points and Harrison Barnes and Stephen Curry each finished with 20 points as the Golden State Warriors finished the game on a 22-7 run and took down the visiting Houston Rockets 105-93 Wednesday night in front of 19,596 fans at Oracle Arena.

The win extended Golden State’s franchise record streak to 14 games, and improved the Warriors to an NBA-best 19-2 record.

“It took so long for us to break through tonight, that’s a helluva team,” said Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, who became the first coach in NBA history to win 19 of his first 21 games. “I thought we struggled a bit, but we were able to get the ball moving.”

Playing without center Andrew Bogut due to right knee tendinitis, Golden State relied on small ball going with Festus Ezeli at center to start the game, but ended the game with Draymond Green (11 points) at center, and Barnes at power forward.

The result: Golden State outscored Houston 32-17 in the fourth quarter, and shot 70 percent (14-of-20) from the floor, while playing lock-down defense. The Dubs held Houston in check in the fourth quarter, limiting the Rockets to just 31.6 percent (6-of-19) shooting.

James Harden scored 20 of his game-high 34 points in the first half, while Trevor Ariza and Donatas Motiejunas both finished with 18 points for the Rockets (16-5), who saw their four-game winning streak snapped.

Dwight Howard (right knee) missed his ninth straight game for Houston.

Both teams finished with 15 turnovers.

“We knew with Bogut out, we needed everyone to play well and we did,” said Barnes, who also had seven rebounds. “We had to grind out this game…we’ve been through a lot, but we got a lot of guys who can come in and contribute.”

Marreesse Speights finished with 15 points and eight rebounds and Shaun Livingston scored eight points off the bench.

Kerr knows its all about the team.

“It means that I’m the luckiest head coach in history…it’s fun to come into work everyday to get ready for the next game and work with these players.”

The Warriors will try to continue their winning streak Saturday in Dallas.

Raiders off to KC looking for seconds

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By Joe Hawkes-Beamon

OAKLAND — After a dominating performance on both sides of the ball in a 24-13 victory over their cross-bay rivals the San Francisco 49ers at O.co Coliseum last Sunday, the Raiders look to take that momentum into Kansas City Sunday against their arch rival the Chiefs.

Oakland (2-11) earned their first win of the season with a 24-20 victory over Kansas City in Week 12 at the Black Hole and would like nothing more to take the season series from the Chiefs.

Raiders’ signal caller Derek Carr played more like a 10-year veteran than a rookie, completing 22-of-28 passes for 254 yards and three touchdowns against the 49ers No. 2 ranked defense that gave up two touchdown drives of 80 yards and rarely pressured Carr.

Carr completely outplayed 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who didn’t fair too well against a Raiders defense that sacked Kapernick five times, two apiece by rookie linebacker Khalil Mack and defensive tackle Antonio Smith.

“This week it was preached to us just how important this game was,” Smith said after the game. “This week more and more of us became true Raiders, knowing what the heritage is about, knowing what this game was about, how important it was to this city.”

Safety Charles Woodson sealed the victory (and possibly San Francisco’s playoff chances) in style with a fourth quarter interception.

Kansas City (7-6), are coming off close 17-14 loss to the Cardinals in Arizona last Sunday, their third straight loss dating back to their first encounter with Oakland on Nov. 20.

Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith completed 26-of-39 passes for 293 yards one touchdown and an interception. Running back  Jamaal Charles finished with 10 carries for 91 yards, including a 63-yard touchdown run. Charles’ second touchdown (an 18-yard toss from Smith), gave Kansas City a 14-6 halftime lead only to see the lead slip away.

Oakland could have some trouble against a Chiefs team that is No. 5 overall in defense, and No. 2 against the pass and who are desperate to end their three-game losing streak and stay afloat in a tight AFC playoff race.

Players to Watch

Kansas City, OLB, Justin Houston.

Houston has been nothing less then stellar for Kansas City this season. With 16 sacks (a career-high), Houston is tied with Baltimore outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil for the most in the NFL. The fourth-year pro from Georgia recorded a sack the last time Oakland saw Kansas City.

Oakland, QB, Derek Carr.

There is no question that Carr is Oakland’s quarterback for the next five-to-10 years. That should be music to the ears of Raider Nation, who’ve had 18 different starting quarterbacks since Rich Gannon in 2003. Carr leads all rookies in touchdown passes (17) and passing yards (2,676).